FAQs
We know there are a lot of questions surrounding a remodel and picking the right contractor. We’re here to help! If you don’t see the answer to one of your questions below, please feel free to reach out to us directly.
Process
We have members of our team who will help you create designs for everything from large-scale interior remodels to smaller-scale custom built-ins. For additions and large exterior remodels, we recommend starting with a third-party architect, and we can provide referrals and/or coordinate this process with you as well.
There are two main options:
- We source fixtures and materials during an initial design phase, and then we help you pick from among the options to create a cohesive plan that fits your intended style. The majority of our clients go this route, and it allows us to provide a full-service design/build product that many homeowners prefer.
- If you already know what fixtures and materials you would like to purchase (or have already contracted with a separate designer to provide these services), we’ll follow your lead. We’re happy to provide feedback if there are specific installation or compatibility questions that pop up along the way.
Absolutely! We can consult mid-process to help determine pricing, or if you have plans already drawn up, we’ll provide a proposal based on those drawings. Once selected, we’ll handle everything from permitting through completion of the project.
It depends on the job. We self-perform as much of our projects as we can: Demo, framing, drywall, painting, tile, cabinetry, trim – the list goes on. There are some tasks that require additional certification that can only be performed by additionally-licensed contractors, however, and we’ve carefully developed a network of subs who help us address those needs (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.). For larger projects, we may bring on additional partners to scale up and make sure we can meet realistic timelines for our clients.
One thing that separates Ripley Renovations from other general contractors is you’ll see the same workers every day on site, and when we do another project with you after a couple of years, it’ll likely be the same crew you saw the first time around.
For small projects, we generally split the project into two draws: One to start work, and the second after the project has been completed. For larger jobs, we create a draw schedule based on phases of work completed and the size of the project.
All invoicing is done online through our client portal and/or email links, and payments may be processed online unless clients prefer to provide hard-copy checks. We do not currently accept credit card payments or provide financing.
We are. Ripley Renovations is a fully licensed general contractor with the City of Dallas, and we carry a $1M general liability insurance policy. We also have a comprehensive worker’s compensation policy that covers any of our workers or subcontractors who don’t have their own policies.
Timeline
Yes. We get this question all the time – especially on older homes where there’s a long list of potential projects that may or may not be interconnected. We’ll help you determine how to phase out a large scope into manageable sub-projects based on several criteria: budget, schedule availability, and overall priorities.
We have clients with whom we’ve worked for almost a decade, slowly chipping away at a project list as time and budget allows (and sanity!).
This is a tough question, as it depends on the size of the project and how feasible it is to partition off a portion of the property to serve as living quarters during the bulk of the construction process. Let’s discuss how the building process will affect your lifestyle, and then we’ll help you make that decision.
Bottom line – if you want to stay in your house during a large remodel, there may be some creative solutions to make it happen, as long as everyone is a little flexible during the process.
This depends completely on each project’s unique scope, but the following are some general guidelines:
- Small bathrooms, less than 100 sf: 4 – 6 weeks, or close to 2 months if there are significant custom elements
- Large master baths and master suites: 2 – 3 months, depending on the complexity of cabinetry and special-order materials
- Small kitchens, not interconnected to other areas: 2 – 3 months
- Large kitchens and great rooms: 4 – 6 months, depending on how much structural work is required and re-routing of mechanicals
- Exterior restorations, historic homes over 2500 sf and two stories: 2 -3 months. For smaller/newer homes, we can often complete projects in 4 – 6 weeks
- Additions or detached quarters in conservation/historic districts: 4 – 6 months. Permitting and architectural planning will generally add around 3 – 6 months of lead time before we can begin construction
We include detailed timeline projections with every contract proposal, and we also maintain a real-time project calendar that you can access through your client portal. This calendar will keep you informed of any changes as they occur once the project is underway.
Project Scope
Most members of Ripley Renovations’ core team got their start building cabinetry and furniture, and that’s still the source of our passion. In our experience, we have an eye for detail that is unsurpassed in the Dallas remodeling industry, especially at our price point. In addition to fine carpentry, some of our particular skill sets are:
- Client communication – we’re uniquely dedicated to ensuring a collaborative approach and full process transparency.
- Painting – we take the time to do it right, and our prep work ensures a finished product that outshines and outlasts most competitors’ projects.
- Tile work – like painting, we take the time to prep all projects so that surfaces are flat, level, and plumb – something particularly difficult and often ignored in older homes. Thoughtful layouts and expertise with era-appropriate materials allow us to create installations that are far beyond the quality of what is typically found in historic homes in East Dallas.
- Digital design – we can create 3-dimensional mock-ups of anything from a full-house floorplan to a single column or cabinet. Where many contractors and vendors rely on 2-dimensional programs, templates, and hand-drawn sketches, we have full design control to model any idea we create together and view it from all angles; you’ll be able to visualize exactly how your design will look before we get started.
If we can’t be great at it, we won’t do it. Some of these we don’t do:
- Very large houses over about 5000 square feet. We purposefully maintain a small crew and a tightly-managed network of subcontractors. As a result, we don’t want to risk bringing in unknown and untested workers that would be required to scale up for larger properties.
- Contemporary, ultra-modern homes. We’re experts in traditional styles such as Craftsman, Victorian, Tudor, and even mid-century modern homes. We could probably figure a modern home out, but there are many other qualified contractors who can do this better than we can and who have a passion for that aesthetic.
- Landscape-only projects. We can refer you to an excellent outdoor-focused contractor with whom we regularly partner, but unless you need an outdoor kitchen/deck/pergola/etc. or would like to engage us for project management services, we’ll put you in touch with our recommended landscaper.
- Commercial remodeling and build-outs. We did our own shop, but there are many other contractors who will have deeper wells of experience from which to draw than us. Besides – our heart is in improving homes for families and being good stewards of Dallas’ older housing stock.
- New construction. We’d love to build you a new carriage house/detached garage/guest quarters, but there are many other contractors who will be a better fit for helping you with the process of buying land, producing house plans, and building a new home faster than we could. And did we mention we love old houses?
We’re a small company, but we have the scale and partnerships to help you take on anything from a single room remodels (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, etc.) to a full gut remodel or exterior restoration of a 3000 – 5000 square foot house. We also regularly do small maintenance tasks for our existing customers and our neighbors in East Dallas; please refer to our service area map on our Services page for a more detailed description of our coverage zones.
We work almost exclusively within the Dallas city limits, specifically East Dallas, but we offer a detailed map of our service range HERE.